Review of Gentefied

Hang on till the end for a heartfelt journey in getting to know the characters. I found the first four or five episodes to focus a bit too much on the comical side with not much lack of depth other than the characters being non-stereotypical depictions of Mexicans. The show takes a turn towards a more serious role when the writers start tackling issues of immigrant struggles and gentrification towards the second half. This made the show felt a little unbalanced but the heart throughout the show is what made me stick with it and even shed a tear or two over the lives of the characters that I had come to know over 10 episodes. Joaquín Cosio as Pops is brilliant and sometimes overshadows the other less experienced and younger actors. The solo episode on Jaime Alvarez is excellent and may be my favorite episode the entire show. The actors who play Chris, Eric and Ana struggle a bit in the beginning but finish the season much stronger showing true emotion in their characters. I'm really looking forward to a season 2 on a show that is as socially important as it is entertaining.